Children’s Picnic Shopping List
Use this children’s picnic shopping list to organise food, drinks, serving items and outdoor setup without last-minute trips to the shop. Plan portions around the number of children and adults attending, then add a small buffer for spills, seconds and unexpected guests. Fresh fruit and vegetables should be bought close to the picnic, while reusable tableware, coolers, blankets and decorations can be checked and packed earlier. Dietary requirements should be confirmed before you buy sandwiches, wraps or snacks.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Party tentsqty 2
- Foldable tablesqty 6
- Folding chairsqty 40
- Picnic blanketsqty 10
- Buffet tablesqty 2
- Drink tablesqty 2
Tableware
- Reusable platesqty 50
- Reusable bowlsqty 50
- Reusable cupsqty 60
- Reusable cutleryqty 60
- Serving spoonsqty 8
- Serving plattersqty 12
- Serving tongsqty 6
Kitchen
- Coolersqty 4
- Cutting boardsqty 4
- Chef's knifeqty 4
- Bread knivesqty 3
- Measuring cupsqty 2
- Thermos flasksqty 4
- Water jugsqty 6
- Food storage containersqty 12
- Aluminum foilqty 2
- Cling filmqty 2
Equipment
- Bluetooth speaker
- Extension cordsqty 3
Lighting
- String lightsqty 4
- Battery lanternsqty 6
Decorations
- Balloonsqty 60
- Buntingqty 6
- Tableclothsqty 8
- Name stickersqty 60
Sports equipment
- Footballsqty 4
- Frisbeesqty 6
- Skipping ropesqty 6
- Bubble solutionqty 8
- Colored pencilsqty 40
- Coloring pagesqty 50
- Sidewalk chalkqty 8
Cleaning
- Waste binsqty 6
- Handwashing stationsqty 2
- Reusable cleaning clothsqty 12
- Washing-up tubsqty 3
Catering
- Groceries
- Bread rolls - 60 pieces
- Wholemeal bread - 6 loaves
- Wraps - 40 pieces
- Butter - 500 grams
- Young cheese - 2 kilograms
- Ham - 1.5 kilograms
- Chicken breast slices - 1,5 kilogram
- Hummus - 1 kilogram
- Cream cheese - 750 grams
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Strawberry jam - 2 jars
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Tomatoes - 2 kilograms
- Lettuce - 6 heads
- Bell peppers - 12 pieces
- Carrots - 2 kilogram
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilograms
- Apples - 50 pieces
- Bananas - 40 pieces
- Grapes - 4 kilograms
- Strawberries - 3 kilograms
- Melons - 4 pieces
- Yogurt - 5 liters
- Muesli - 1.5 kilogram
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Popcorn - 2 kilograms
- Mini cookies - 3 kilogram
- Lemonade syrup - 4 bottles
- Cola - 8 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Sinas - 6 bottles
- Apple juice - 6 packs
- Spa Blauw - 8 bottles
- Sparkling water - 4 bottles
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 4 liters
- Oat milk - 2 liter
- Sugar - 1 kilogram
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Mustard - 1 bottle
- Salt - 1 tin
- Pepper - 1 can
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Ice cubes - 10 bags
- Hand soap - 3 bottles
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 12 rolls
- Trash bags - 3 rolls
Tips
- Allow two to three drinks per child for the first few hours, plus extra water for warm weather. Chill drinks in coolers before leaving and bring water jugs or thermos flasks for easy refills.
- Buy one child-sized portion of sandwiches or wraps per child, with 10% extra for torn portions and seconds. Prepare them on the day or the evening before, then keep them covered with cling film or foil.
- Plan fruit and vegetables by serving about 150–200 g per child, washing and cutting them before packing. Use food storage containers so softer items do not get crushed in picnic baskets.
- Pack roughly one reusable plate, bowl, cup and set of cutlery per guest, plus 10% spare. Serving spoons, platters and tongs are easy to forget but prevent children from reaching into shared food trays.
- Check the non-food supplies at least two days before the picnic: coolers, cutting boards, knives, tablecloths, blankets and party tents. Test the Bluetooth speaker, extension cords and battery lanterns before packing them.
Frequently asked questions
- What food do I need for a children’s picnic?
- Plan one portion of sandwiches or wraps per child, 150–200 g of fruit and vegetables per child, and extra snacks for seconds. Add about 10% more food if attendance is uncertain or children are likely to stay for several hours.
- How many drinks should I buy for a children’s picnic?
- Allow two to three drinks per child for the first few hours, including water. On a warm day, buy extra water and keep it chilled in coolers or serve it from water jugs.
- When should I buy food for a children’s picnic?
- Buy fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and other perishable ingredients one day before the picnic, or on the morning itself when possible. Check dietary requirements before shopping so suitable alternatives are ready before food preparation starts.
- How many plates and cups do I need for a children’s picnic?
- Prepare one reusable plate, bowl, cup and cutlery set per guest, then add 10% spare. For 20 guests, that means 22 of each item, plus serving spoons, platters and tongs.
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